About Us

MISSION & VISION

Founded by a group of Pan Asian filmmakers, artists and community organizers, Cinevolution Media Arts Society is committed to bringing contemporary migrant experiences into the global conversation through film and media arts while challenging conventional definitions of identity.

Based in the Lower Mainland, Cinevolution nurtures the decentralization of art while forging new connections among artists and academics to the community. Through a variety of professional and community programs, we aspire to foster media literacy, cultivate creativity, and stimulate critical discourse and new ideas.

Our vision is a diverse society where people connect across linguistic, geopolitical and cultural boundaries to explore different perspectives and realities.

Cinevolution’s operation has been supported by the City of Richmond, the City of Vancouver, the Province of BC, and the federal government of Canada. We were the recipient of the 2012 Richmond Arts Award for Artistic Innovation and among the finalists of the 2015 Richmond Arts Awards for Cultural Leadership.

Rahim is of Syrian origin and has lived in Canada for the last 13 years. He currently works as a Program Manager for a multinational company with teams and customers across the world. Rahim believes in community-building through enriching multiculturalism, social acceptance and cultural harmony. He has long been a volunteer in projects that promote community dialogue, civic engagement, multiculturalism, and harmony. Since the start of the Syrian uprising, he has been raising awareness about the conflict and helping the most affected and vulnerable populations by fostering collaborations across the country.

Rahim Othman / Secretary

Lynn is an Emily Carr University of Arts & Design graduate where she majored in Communication Studies. Working in the Arts for nearly 8 years, she values how they strengthen personal identity, increase appreciation for other people and the world in new ways, and open up space for greater understanding and sensitivity. She is an Art Educator at Vancouver Art Gallery and a graphic designer. As co-founder of and Program Director for Cinevolution, she has been essential in all aspects of organizing our numerous programs. Cinevolution’s vision of intercultural engagement through film and media arts has been a medium for Lynn to explore her immigrant identity and fascination with culturally anchored art forms.

Lynn Chen / Program Director

Jenniffer joined Cinevolution as the Box Office Manager for the 2014 Your Kontinent Festival, and found the enthusiasm and passion to be infectious. After graduating from the School of Business at BCIT, she stepped into her current role as Human Resources Coordinator. Drawn to the social connections Cinevolution offers, she feels extremely lucky to continue to work and grow with such dynamic artists, creators, and visionaries.

Jenniffer Tai / HR Coordinator

Born in Belgium, with a childhood that spanned Taipei and Prince Rupert, Yun-Jou grew up navigating the interstitial spaces between two languages and two cultures, knowing that the question of identity is often complicated and unanswerable. She has always been powerfully drawn to language, literature and the stories we tell, and how these things inform our ability to connect with one another, form groups and build community.

Yun-Jou Chang / Vice President

For Ying, working for Cinevolution for the past 9 years has been the most intensive and fulfilling period of her life, giving her the chance to explore and to experiment in many unknown territories. Working with artists and communities also enhanced her belief in the power of art to transcend and transform the individual and society. A self taught filmmaker, Ying is currently completing her first feature length documentary Dad, I Will Be Home Soon, a film tackling issues of global emigration and mental health.

Ying Wang / President

Jonathan is a UBC graduate where he majored in English Literature and Film Studies and was heavily involved with the UBC Film Society. He has worked for several art-house theatres and film festivals, including the Edmonton and Vancouver International Film Festivals, and with the BC Alliance for Arts + Culture including its Law For Nonprofits initiative. With a lifelong passion for cinema, he became interested in Cinevolution due to a shared enthusiasm for visual literacy.

Jonathan Stonehouse / Office & Events Administrator

Jian Ping Su is a cinematographer, director, producer and editor who has worked on TV series, commercials and short documentary videos for television, film festivals, and the City of Richmond’s website. Su works at Shaw TV Vancouver as a videographer and SMC stories producer where he creates a variety of stories about people from local communities. Su's latest production is a TV series called Hip Hop with Travis Lim, where he is the Cinematographer and Chief Editor.

Jian Ping Su / Production Manager

Looking back over her career thus far, Sude attributes her success to the greatest of role models: her mother and father. Through Global Support and her fashion business, Zara Xanian,, she has striven to give wings to her clients so that they dream high and aim even higher. She received a master's degree in international business, a bachelor's degree in information technology, an associate degree in visual communications and is certified in digital video production. She was recently inducted into Worldwide Branding and also maintains affiliation with Business for the Arts as a volunteer board member of artsScene Vancouver.

Sude Zara Khanian / Director

Michael considers his life to be defined by travel. He was born in China, raised in Hong Kong, and finally immigrated to Canada. He has two homes - his native Hong Kong and the City of Vancouver. Although he hasn't got the money and time to travel as widely as he would like to, he has had the fortune of visiting many wonderful places in the world. With these travels, he was able to capture his feelings and thoughts in photography. Michael's love of the visual images and films led him to Cinevolution and the creative energy embedded in its vibrant group of artists, filmmakers and cultural makers.

Michael Yue / Treasurer

ABOUT US

Connecting Cultures

Challenging Convention

Cultivating Creativity

Cinevolution's vision is a diverse society where people connect across linguistic, geopolitical and cultural boundaries to explore different perspectives and realities.